Flytying video - Ahrex Hooks

Small flies, big hooks

Sometimes we are asked if more hook models are needed, as we already have a justifiable number in our range. The answer to the question is both no and yes. No, because the hooks we have already developed cover the vast majority of situations that we fly fishermen can be exposed to. But the question can also be answered with yes, as new fly models are constantly appearing, but also ways to tie the flies on the hook.

Håkan Karsnäser has written this blog about the subject “small flies, big hooks”

Alternatives

Summer is upon us, which as so many other seasons offer new opportunities. Sea trout are migrating to the rivers and many really don’t start fishing for them until now – myself included. It’s fun fishing, often in the evenings and in the dark and that feeling of a sea trout grabbing a big, black tube fly in the surface often startles me. The big ones can sound like someone dropped a refrigerator on the fly and feel like it too.

Big flies – big fish?

Photo: Matt Gymon / Freestone River Photography.

I’m sure there’s some truth behind that – to an extent, because it’s certainly far from impossible to catch big fish on small flies. However, this is about big flies and there can be little doubt that big, predatory fish mainly feed to bigger prey, mostly smaller fish. A dense hatch of bugs will bring any trout up, but a bif fly will tempt them consistently, all year round.

Weight on flies – or not?

For many, the epitome of fly fishing is a fly fisherman in a river who casts his dry fly and lets it drift slowly with the current until it disappears in a small ring and a nice trout tightens the line. And for many, that’s exactly what fly fishing is. However, many people like nymph fishing, and so you face a number of challenges to get the fly to fish correctly. A floating fly is easy to follow and correct if it behaves unnaturally. A nymph that is fished below the surface is much more difficult to handle, as you cannot follow the fly’s movement in the same way. It is also difficult to know how the current moves below the surface or how the fly is affected by the stream, rocks and deep holes.

It’s that time of year again

It’s the middle of may and the most important hatch of the year is on. At least in Northern Europe. There are plenty of hatches in the World, where huge insects hatch that can bring the big ones to the surface. In Europe, it’s the Ephemera danica and it’s slightly smaller still water cousin, Ephemera vulgata.

May and pop-pop-pop!

The spawning season for pike is over and the fishing is open again. And that is of course good news for those of us who enjoy fishing pike on the fly. Pike may not deliver the strongest fights, but they offer good chances of really big fish. And even so, I think most are in it for the take.

Squirrel

Most of us probably have too many fly tying materials. Do we really need it all? Certainly not, not least because some materials are good for many different flies if you are a little creative. Finding substitutes for original materials became necessary already around the turn of the century, because many materials became hard to get.

Show Season Wind Down

The show season is winding down now. The season for the big shows is over and we’ve had a busy one. It’s been a pleasure to attend all the shows and it’s been a real pleasure to meet so many of you. We want to thank everyone who came by and said hi. We love meeting you – the ones who use our hooks and we love hearing your feedback. Especially the good feedback, of course, but we take it all back with us and work on getting better – and making more hooks.

The Stimulator

The Stimulator is a very well known fly pattern, especially in North America – and certainly in Montana, where I think it’s impossible to find a fly shop that doesn’t have it in the trays. It might even be hard to a fly box without a Stimulator in it. It’s a very versatile fly and of course not only effective in the US, but on trout everywhere.

Shane Nymph

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Photo: Matt Guymon / Freestone River Photography.

When you’re fishing deep the risk of losing a fly is always greater than when fishing closer to the surface or dry. If you’re fishing really deep you must expect to lose a handful or two of flies on a long fishing day. With that in mind – keep the flies simple and maybe even tied from cheap easily available materials.